Sanitary napkin machine



Aug.30, 1938. c. G. JOA 2,128,746

SANITARY NAPKIN MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Zhmentor mm m C(ttomegs Aug. 30, 1938. c. G. JOA

SANITARY NAPKEIIN MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, I956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor attorneys Patented Au 30, 1938 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE SANITARY NAPKIN MACHINE of Wisconsin Application 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of applying cotton wrappersto the gauze used in the manufacture of sanitary napkins at properly spaced points for the enveloping of the cellucotton or multi-ply tissue paper pads subsequently deposited on the gauze.

It is .the primary object of the invention to provide novel and improved means for severing cotton from an advancing web and for depositing the sheet of cotton thussevered accurately in a desired position upon a moving web of gauze.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a novel roll which transfers successive sheets of cotton to the gauze while maintaining such sheets subject to vacuum for only a small portion of each rotation of the roll; to provide means whereby the Web of cotton may, if desired, be assembled from slivers of coil cotton as the work proceeds; to provide means for severing the successive sheets of cotton without requiring a delicate or entirely accurate cutter, the severance being achieved partially by a shearing operation and partially by pulling the sheet faster than the advance of the web to pull apart any fibers not accurately severed by the knife; and the provision ofan air blast device co-operating with the vacuum to ensure the accurate functioning of the apparatus.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in perspective showing my improved apparatus in operation. Fig. 2 is a. viewu'n longitudinal section through the device shown inFig. l.'

Fig. 3 shows the device in side elevation.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

A web 5 of cotton is delivered across the stationary shear 6 at a rate controlled by the feed rolls 1 and B. This web may be manufactured in advance and drawn from a parent roll as required, or it may be assembled in the apparatus. I have shown means for producing the cotton web for use in my apparatus. Coil cotton is commercially available in cans from which the slivers or ropes 9 may be withdrawn. The requisite number of slivers or ropes 9 are pulled from their respective cans over a guide rod I0 into a, drawing device which comprises a series of pairs of rolls ii, the rolls of 55. overlapped to produce the web shown at 5. As

each pair being driven by appropriate gearing.

December 5, 1936', Serial No. 114,357

indicated in Fig. 2, the lower rolls Ila of each pair arefluted. These rolls are driven by the gears 82 shown in Fig. 3. The upper roll Nb of each pair preferably has cork or leather covering and is pressed downwardly under the thrust of springs i3.

The drawing frame will not be described with further detail since it is of a known construction. 7 The peripheral speed of rolls 1 and 8 corresponds to the speed at which the cotton web 5 issues from the drawing frame.

Immediately beyond the stationary shear knife 6 the advancing end of the cotton web encounters a. transfer roll i 5 which is operating at a peripheral speed slightly higher than the rate at which the webis advanced by the feed rolls i and Ii. The transfer roll i5 is hollow and is provided at it with a port for communication, with alozenge shaped vacuum, chamber ii to which the vacuum pipe i8 is connected, such pipe, communicating with any suitable source of low pressure. A portion of the periphery of the transfer roll l5 equal to about 90 annular extent, is ioraminous as shown at it in Figs. 1 and 2. The perforations in the portion iii of the drawings preferably begin at that axial line on the periphery of the drum first encountered by the end of the advancing web. It is not essential that the perforations shall be continuous about the drum, since it is only essential that the free end of the web be held to the drum.

Spaced about the periphery of the drum from the beginning point 2001 the perforations in the foraminous drum section i9, is a shear knife 2i arranged to co-act with the shear 6 to sever the sheet from the web. Obviously the spacing between the point 20 and the knife corresponds to the length of the desired sheet. It may be changed as desired by substituting difi'erent drums for drum i5.

Above that portion of the drum first encountered by the advancing web, I prefer to use an air blast pipe 23 which has apertures directed toward the face of the drum andisconnected by. air hose M with a source of air under pressure. The blast from pipe 23 co-operates with the vacuum within drum ii to hold the cotton sheet to the foraminous portion IQ of the drum both before and after the sheet is severed from the web. A gauze web 25 is withdrawn from a parent roll ZS'and passes about the lower periphery of the -tranfer roll l5 and between the pressure rolls 2! and- 28'on its way to any suitable sanitary napkin machine, it being understood that in accordance with ponventional practice pads of multi-ply tissue cut to the appropriate form are deposited at stated intervals upon the gauze and enfolded therein. 'I'he'transfer roll l5 has a peripheral speed identical with the lineal speed of travel of the gauze web 25. The length of the vacuum chamber His such that the vacuum will be cut off from the transfer roll I5 before the sector.l9 on Which-the cotton sheet is carried reaches a position for contact with the gauze web 25.

As the advancing cotton web passes the stationary shear knife 6 and encounters the roll IS, the friction of rotation of the transfer roll will guide the web to move with the transfer roll in a counter-clockwise direction from the viewpoint illustrated in the drawings (so far as this particular machine is concerned). Even before the port [6 of the transfer roll registers with the vacuum chamber II, the blast from pipe 23 will hold the end of the advancing web of cotton to the face of the transfer roll. Before the full length of the prospective sheet is in contact with the transfer roll, the registration of port IS with the vacuum chamber will develop vacuum in the interior of the transfer roll, causing the cotton web to adhere tightly to the face of the transfer roll. To' some extent the web is snubbed about the transfer roll to be held tightly in place thereon against the tension exerted by the slower peripheral speed of the feed rolls 1 and 8. The more slowly moving web will slip slightly on the surface of the transfer roll until the shear knife 2| carried by the transferroll passes with a shearing motion across the edge of the stationary knife 6 to sever or substantially sever the cotton Web.

It is very difiicult to accomplish a perfect shearing or cutting of a cotton web. The fibers are difilcult to cut and unless the knives are in perfect condition a complete severance may not. be achieved; In the present device, however, the sheet of cotton will be separated from the web even though the knife cuts the web very incompletely, as the adhesion of the web tothe foraminous portion IQ of the transfer roll under vacuum will be sufli'cient, in view of the slightly more rapid peripheral travel of the transfer roll, to pull apart any fibers uncut by the knife.

The vacuum is released in the transfer roll about the time that the leading end of the severed cotton sheet is in position for contact with the gauze. The fibers of the cotton sheet will have been drawn to some extent into the apertures of the foraminous portion 19 of the'transfer roll. Consequently the sheet will tend to cling to the transfer roll sufficiently so that it will not fall therefrom. There is a. much greater adhesion of the cotton sheet to the gauze, however, and consequently as fast as the cotton sheet is pressed against the web of gauze it'will adhere thereto and leave the transfer roll. In passing between the pressure rolls 21 and 28 the cotton sheet becomes even more tightly adherent to the gauze web.

Naturally, the peripheral extent of the transfer roll and its timing (through chains, preferably) with the feed rolls 1 and 8 and the drawing frame, will determine not only the length of the folded sheet but the spacing of successive severed sheets upon the gauze web. Ordinarily this will not need adjustment for any particular machine,

which will usually be set to produce sanitary napkins of stable dimensions.

When the precut cellulose pad is deposited on the gauze web (asshown, for example, in my companion application No. 54,669) it will be set on to one of the cotton sheets so that when the gauze is folded about the pad the pad will also be enfolded in a cushion ply of cotton. Therefore the entire apparatus here disclosedis adapted for use as an attachment to a sanitary napkin machine of any type.

I claim:

1. The combination with means for supplying and guiding a web of gauze and means for supplying and guiding a web of cotton, of means including a shear and a transfer roll for severing a sheet from the web of cotton and depositing successive sheets in spaced relation upon the web of gauze.

2. In a device of the character described, a transfer roll comprising a roll provided with vacuum connections and having a foraminous peripheral portion, and a shear blade mounted thereon in predetermined spaced relation to the beginning of said foraminous portion.

3. A device of the character described, comprising the combination with a fixed shear, of a transfer roll, means for advancing the web of cotton across the fixed shear toward the transfer roll, means for causing said cotton to adhere to the transfer roll, and means carried by the transfer roll co-actin'g with said fixed shear for severing a sheet from said cotton web for delivery of means providing a web in substantial contact with the under surface of said roll, a fixed shear positioned to co-a'ct with the shear carried by the transfer roll at a point spaced from said'web, and means for intermittently applying vacuum to the interior of said roll during a portion of its rotation required to carry said foraminous portion from said fixed shear toward said web.

5. The combination with means for drawing slivers of cotton into the form of a web, and means for controlling the rate of advance of the web, of means for severing sheets from the ad-' vancing end of the web, and means for depositing said sheets in spaced relation upon another web.

6. Ina device of the character described, means for guiding a web of gauze, a transfer roll having its periphery substantially in contact with the gauze, means for delivering a web of cotton on to the transfer roll at a rate materially slower than the peripheral speed of the transfer roll, means for periodically applying vacuum to said transfer roll, a portion of the surface thereof being foraminous whereby to cause a portion of said web of cotton to adhere to said roll, said cotton web slipping upon said roll pending the severance of said cotton web, and means for substantially severing sheets from said cotton web after the delivery of successive end portions of the web on to the periphery of said transfer roll, the adhesion of the delivered end portions of the web to the transfer roll facilitating the severing of such sheets from the web of cotton.

-cotton.' to adhere to said roll, said cotton web slipping upon said roll pending the severance of i said cotton web, and means for substantially sev-.-

on to the periphery of said transfer roll, the adhesion of the delivered end portions of the web to the transfer roll facilitating the severing 0! such sheets from the web of cotton, said vacuum applying means including means for relieving such vacuum prior to contact of the cotton sheet with the gauze web.

8. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a rotatable transfer roll having a foraminous peripheral portion, means for delivering successive end portions of a web of cotton to the periphery of said transfer roll at a rate materially slower than the rate of peripheral advance of said roll, whereby the end portions of said web toward said roll, and acomplementary knife co-acting therewith to sever successive end portions of said web subsequent to the adhesion 01 such end portions to said transfer roll, such adhesion facilitating the complete separation of .sheets from the advancing web.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a transfer roll and a shear blade carried thereby, of a fixed shear disposed in the path of rotation oi said shear blade and arranged to coact therewith, means for feeding material to said roll between said roll and the fixed, shear in a position to be severed on engagement of said blade with said fixed shear, and means beyond said fixed shear in the direction of roll advance for directing an air blast toward said roll, whereby to hold to the surface thereof material which has passed said fixed shear. I

CURT G. J 0A. 

